Luke 16 (2)

Money Get away You get a good job with more pay and you're okay Money It's a gas Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

Some boys kiss me Some boys hug me I think they're ok If they don't give me proper credit I just walk away

They can beg and they can plead But they can't see the light (that's right) 'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash Is always Mister Right

Chris Janson:

I know everybody says money can't buy happiness

But it could buy me a boat It could buy me a truck to pull it It could buy me a Yeti 110 iced down with some silver bullets Yeah, and I know what they say, money can't buy everything Well, maybe so But it could buy me a boat

I don't know what they want from me It's like the more money we come across The more problems we see

Today we are going to be looking at Luke chapter 16 which is ALL about money, our relationship to money, the poor and the wealthy.

From a teaching and preaching perspective its a pretty challenging and interesting passage to work through. I hope I can do it justice today.

The chapter starts out with a parable, it moves on to a confrontation with the pharisees and then ends with yet another parable.

The running theme in chapter 16 is being a good steward

What is a steward?

A household manager. Not the owner of the house but the one who is brought in by the owner to be responsible for how the house is cared for and managed.

we use words like “stewardship” and “Stewarding” Managing the resources that God has given you.

The first parable we come to at the beginning of chapter 16 is one of the most unique parables in the Bible.

I. God’s Stewards Must Be Shrewd (16:1–9).

Luke 16:1–9 (ESV)

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’

So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Quick review from last week:

Parables: made up stories to teach a real lesson.

simple word picture-full blow allegory

Interpreting parables

They can’t mean what Jesus didn’t mean. We don’t want to take interpretation too far and assign meaning to aspects that do not carry specific meaning or add layers where there are not layers

Don’t moralize the stories. The behavior of the characters in the stories are not always to be modelled. Like in the parable of the prodigal son it is not like good son and bad son. It’s two different kinds of bad son. Also Jesus is not necessarily teaching about how to be a good earthly father or son in that parable

Context is key. Does Jesus explain the parable? Does he give the parable in response to a question or situation? Does the author of the gospel place the parable with other parables or between stories about Jesus? Who is Jesus talking to? Where is Jesus peaching? What reaction do the hearers have?

The meaning of the parable must be supported by the rest of scripture not at odds with it

What does the word Shrewd mean? Its not one we use a ton.

Shrewd: Wise, but wise with a killer instinct.

I don’t mean in a murderous sense, I mean they have their stuff together, nothing gets by them, they plan ahead, they see the big picture

So in this parable:

- Steward sees that he has some control of resources that are not his for a limited amount of time.

- He understands the resources are not really his and they ONLY have value during that time. He can’t “take them with him”

- He thinks shrewdly and uses the resources in the limited amount of time to impact the future in a beneficial way.

the way that he does that seems to be a little shady but remember, Jesus is not telling a moral story like “Hey here is a good guy you should act like him in everything”

What is the biblical interpretation?

In this life we have control of some resources, money and possessions for a limited amount of time.

Those things are not really ours, they are gifts from God and we can not take them with us

we should be shrewed and use those resources to impact the ETERNAL future in some way.

Luke 16:9 ESV

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Maybe the weirdest looking verse in Luke

what the what?

Ray Boltz - Thank you

There is a biblical basis for this song here.

What we do with the “unrighteous/worldly wealth” of this life can have eternal impact.

Every. dollar. matters.

dont look at it as a guilt or burden but as a potential for good.

go off

shrewed by itself under the infuence of the world is just a hustler or maybe even a crook

shrewd+transformed heart = faithful

II. God’s Stewards Must Be Faithful (16:10–13).

A. A Faithful Steward Has Integrity

Luke 16:10 ESV

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

Luke 16:11–12 ESV

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Be honest with your spouse about money, don’t cheat, pay your taxes, don’t steal from your job (time or stuff)

If you wonder “why is God not using me?” You might need to take a look at your integrity.

B. A Faithful Steward is Submitted to God

Luke 16:13 ESV

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Our ultimate authority and priority is God. Not get money. Get stuff. get power.

submit yourself to God, his kingdom, his agenda, and his will

III. God’s Stewards Must Be Obedient (16:14–18).

Luke 16:14 ESV

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

once again, people think they are cute and Jesus hits them with a reality check

Luke 16:15 (ESV)

And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts....

A. God knows your heart

He knows if you are being a good steward. He knows if you are being faithful. He knows what master you are Searving.

A lot of times people say “God knows my heart” meaning “I have good intentions”

Yeah God does know your heart

Luke 16:15 (ESV)

...For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

B. Heart Test

Luke 16:16–17 ESV

“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

what is your relationship to my law? are you trying to force your way into heaven by living up to some type of human standard or are you submitted to me and my law.

Jesus knew his crowd he wanted to challenge them on weather they were really obedient to his law so he gives them a very personal example.

You claim to love God so much how about this:

Luke 16:18 ESV

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Jesus could have used another law

You say you love me but you covet,

You say you love me but you commit adultery or fornication in your mind.

You say you love me but you disrespect your parents.

You say you love me but you support and practice injustice

You say you love me but you dont love my image bearers

Jesus closes this theme of our relationship with money with another parable.

IV. God’s Stewards Will Be Rewarded (16:19–31).

A. Two very different people (16:19–21)

Luke 16:19–21 ESV

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Common picture in that day and sadly still in this one.

B. Two very different destinations (16:22–23)

Luke 16:22–23 ESV

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Abrahams side is a poetic way to refer to heaven.

Hades is a word that can mean “grave” or “afterlife” but it often is used to talk about a place of punishment and separation from God - hell.

Jesus talked about heaven and hell as real places.

C. Two very sobering questions and answers

Question 1:

Luke 16:24 ESV

And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

Answer:

Luke 16:25–26 ESV

25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

The implication here is that Lazarus, having nothing in his earthly life, understood his need for a rescue

The Rich man never noticed. OR if he did notice, he was able to drown it out with money matters.

This does not say your money was evil but that you allowed it to blind you.

Question 2:

Luke 16:27–28 ESV

And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

Answer:

Luke 16:29–31 ESV

But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

This Life is your opportunity to get right with God, submit to him, obey him, and make a difference for eternity.

So What?

How would you characterize your households personal finances? Are you being faithful with what God has given you? Is your household and your relationships characterized by peace and contentment?

What do you need to do TODAY to level up in your stewardship? (That is not necessarily giving more to the church)

The last thing I want you to consider is that God knows your heart.

this story of Lazarus and the rich man is a sobering one

Do you need to humble yourself and truly believe ?